West Blasts Media: 'Communist' Quote Bad Reporting

Rep. Allen West’s campaign has fired back at media reports claiming the former Army colonel launched a McCarthyesque attack claiming that 80 or so Democratic congressmen are “members of the Communist Party,” saying that the statement was completely taken out of context.

Tim Edson, West’s campaign manager, told The Daily Caller that West was taking issue with the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and not actually making the outlandish comment about his peers’ affiliation that the media has reported.

“I believe there are about 78 or 81 members of the Democrat Party that are members of the Communist Party,” West was quoted during a Tuesday town hall meeting with constituents in Florida. After a pause for effect, he added, “it’s called the Congressional Progressive Caucus.”

Original reports by the Palm Beach Post didn’t include the latter half of West’s comments, saying only that he made the allegation and said he “wouldn’t name names.”

Edson says that this is patently false.

“One stupid reporter with a local publication misquoted the entire thing, and they all jumped on one press account without verifying,” said Edson. “It’s all typical west wing marching orders from their friends in the press.”